Launching the lifeboat

When the alarm is raised at sea a sequence of well-rehearsed steps swings into action to effect the rescue.

Mayday, mayday, mayday …

Whatever the emergency at sea, in the UK, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) coordinates all the search and rescue (SAR) units and decides whether to launch a lifeboat, scramble a helicopter or call out a mud or cliff rescue team or other group.

Alerting the crew

If a lifeboat is required then Solent Coastguard sets the pagers off and contacts the Lifeboat Operations Manager (LOM) or Deputy Launching Authority (DLA) and requests the launch of the lifeboat. Once the LOM/DLA gives permission to launch the lifeboat, the crew and helpers are then alerted by pager. The RNLI uses its own Call Out and Communications System (COACS).

Would you like to be notified of Poole lifeboat launches as they happen? If so, you can download the desktop pager and select Poole as the station to monitor.

When the pagers go off the lifeboat crew may be at home, out shopping, at work or even asleep, and when they hear the pager they stop what they’re doing and rush to the lifeboat station as quickly, but as safely, as possible. They may jump into their cars or even run down to the station but bikes, buggies and boats have all been used to get crew and shore helpers to the station.

Getting kitted up

Once the helmsman of the arrive they can then find out what the problem is and decide on the crew members to take.

The number of crew on a lifeboat depends on which lifeboat is launched – generally four crew are needed on the Atlantic 85 and three on the D Class. The Lifeboat Operations Manager may decide to launch both boats.

The crew then get kitted up in their protective clothing. This means for the crew wear a drysuit (with yellow wellies attached), lifejackets and helmet. Optional items include gloves and woolly bears (thermal undersuits) for colder weather.

Launching the lifeboat

Normally the lifeboats launch within 8 minutes but you never know how long you will be out for when the pager goes off – it can be 30 minutes or even 12 hours. You can sometimes go out for a shout only 230m away from the station or you can go out 23 miles from home.

Crew numbers

Once the lifeboat has been launched the rescue starts in earnest. The radio operator talks to the Coastguard on the radio and asks them for an update of the situation and also passes on details of who is onboard the lifeboat. Each lifeboat crew member has a number and the Coastguard stations in each area have lists of all their names and numbers for each station.

All the radio operator needs to do is to pass on the crew numbers to the Coastguard: ‘Crew numbers 3, 11, and 29 onboard.’ With so many families and people with the same surnames it means that there can be no confusion about who is going out and also it saves trying to spell some of the more difficult names!

The need to pass on the numbers is, of course, something that no one wants to think about. If there is an injury or worse, a death, everyone will quickly know who is on the lifeboat.

The rescue

The initial contact with the Coastguard provides the crew with some details about the incident – what the casualty is, where it is, how many people are involved, whether anyone has been injured and whether they are likely to need medical attention.

All of this information is useful so the crew can plot a course to the casualty …

… and start getting any equipment ready they may need – casualty care equipment, salvage pump if a boat is taking on water, scramble net to get someone out of the water, or ropes to tow a boat.

If it’s going to be a long shout the crew will even put on the water heater (on an all-weather lifeboat) so they can make cups of tea or soup later on, both for the potential casualities and themselves.

Arriving on scene the crew lets the Coastguard know and then checks out the situation, assesses what they need to do and talks to the casualty if possible. What might seem like a straightforward rescue to the lifeboat crew can be a frightening experience for the people involved and so it’s important for the crew to provide a friendly face and to reassure them that they will do all they can to sort the situation out.

Equally for the lifeboat crew, as well as the people involved, it can be a tense and dramatic time and the helmsman and crew have to make quick and effective decisions. Often a great deal of courage, determination, skill, leadership, agility and perseverance is required to carry out a successful rescue.

The rescue can sometimes take just a few minutes, or it can take several hours. However long it takes, the crews communicate with each other and the Coastguard, and work together towards a successful outcome.

Teamwork

Some rescues rely on the teamwork of lifeboat and helicopter crews or other rescue teams and when Poole lifeboat volunteers answer the call for help, a host of other state and independent bodies is ready in support.

Training exercises are organised so that crews become used to working with other search and rescue (SAR) teams.

Returning to the station

After the rescue is over and the lifeboat has been brought back to the station it has to be washed outside and cleaned inside (especially after a really rough shout – yuk!). All the equipment is checked and any items replaced or restocked. The fuel tank is filled and the boat is left ready for the next launch – which could be tomorrow or not for another few weeks. Whenever it happens, the lifeboats, the crew, shore helpers and everyone involved will be ready.